1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a restricting member configured to restrict abnormal rising of an air spring in a railcar and a railcar including the restricting member.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, in railcars, an air spring is used as a buffer device provided between a bogie provided with wheels and a carbody provided at an upper portion of the bogie. The air spring can expand or contract in an upward/downward direction by supplying or discharging compressed air to or from an air chamber formed inside the air spring. In the railcars, for example, performed is an automatic level controlling operation of adjusting the pressure of the air in the air spring such that the height of the railcar is maintained within a certain range by utilizing the expansion and contraction of the air spring.
However, the air spring may cause abnormal rising, that is, the internal pressure of the air spring may increase by, for example, a failure of an air system, and therefore, the air spring may expand by a predetermined amount or more. On this account, the carbody is provided with a restricting member configured to mechanically restrict the rising of the carbody when the abnormal rising of the air spring occurs.
One example of this type of conventional art is a height stopper configured such that: a fitting recess is provided at a lower end of a center pin attached to the carbody; a coupling portion provided at a height stopper member (restricting member) is fitted into the fitting recess; and the coupling portion is fixed to the fitting recess by a bolt (see PTL 1, for example).
Another example of this type of conventional art is that a separation preventing device (restricting member) constituting a height stopper is attached to a lower portion of a center pin by a bolt, the center pin extending downward from the carbody (see PTL 2, for example).